The Quick Version: A slice of life tale of of famous and not so famous musicians who try to start their own record label together. Let fun and drama ensue!
What is Endeavour Records?
Endeavour Records is a brand new music label operating out of the basement of an old club in Philadelphia called the Boneyard. Endeavour is counter culture, low budget and personal. The idea behind the label is to bring the freedom and the magic back to fold, to make music the way it used to be made; with love and ambition.
Endeavour: An Autobiography
Music is the centre of the world. It is the one thing through all cultures that binds every living being together. Yes, musical tastes are different but the emotion, the way the songs make you feel, that is shared, that is forever and that is the web that connects the human race.
In the annals of history, many musicians have changed the world; Johnson, Elvish, Cash, Bowie, The Stones, Nirvana it is a list that writes itself and it is a list that could last forever.
In 2004, Mitchell, Tom, James and Andy were four boys who had very little in common other than the school they all attended and a passion for music. Through happenstance and fate, the boys decided to form a band and called themselves Bernard Zephyr (they didn’t know what it meant either) and very swiftly, the group was snapped up by famous producer/manager Nigel Conti. Nigel saw an easy way to make money by selling the pretty young faces of the Bz’s and modifying their very basic musical talent with auto-tune. Within a year, the Bz’s had released their first album “Young Sleep” and were soon on the fast track to superstardom thanks to Nigel, and his marketing genius.
The band help popularize the pop/punk sound that came to be the signature style of the noughties but life wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for the lads. Tom often considered himself smarter than his compatriots and tried his hands at many failed business ventures. One such venture ended up being his downfall and he was arrested for money laundering and sentenced to time in prison. By the time the boys released their second album “Waking Wonders” he was kicked out of the band and replaced.
James had been the frontman of the group from day one. Cocksure, full of swagger and the main selling point to the audience, James was the quintessential teen idol. Unfortunately, James was too easily seduced by the allure of celebrity and while promoting their third album “The Girl I Named a Storm After”, he overdosed. James survived and went to rehab but because of a newborn fear of falling back into old habits, he left the band and now is the host of his own talk show.
“The Girl I Named a Storm After” marked a tonal shift in the band as Mitchell and Andy became songwriting partners. The music the band began to make moved away from the more brand that had made them famous and gradually moved to a darker more somber tone of rockier stuff. Unfortunately, this shift was not that well received as although the album was probably their best, fans wanted the group to stay as they were. They didn’t want their chart topping fresh faced hunks to become bearded, flannel wearing rockers. This response from those that were supposed to care for him pushed the already sensitive Andy off the edge and a month after the album's release, he was dead by his own hand and Bz’s ended with his life.
Bernard Zephyr was only around for five years but the band became a horror story of the industry. A warning to any new acts breaking into the business about just how dangerous the music can be. They changed the world but it cost them everything.
What of Mitchell? Mitch had always been the quiet man of the band, the genius revered throughout the industry as a “mad scientist” who created their most memorable pieces. The only one who continuously strove to improve his musical ability He had all but given up on music after the loss of his bandmates, until he was struck by a bolt of inspiration; create his own label, sign talented people and protect them from the business so that they can make music magic once again.
Setting up shop in South Philly in the basement of a bar called the Boneyard, Mitchell began the long and arduous process of finding acts to sign. He also purchased the block of apartments next door so that those who come to record with him and be nearby in case they need any last minute access to the studio.
Who Will You Play?
The idea behind this is for you to play someone who is or wants to be associated with the new record label. Are you a multi million dollar worth pop star looking to shed her glitzy image and start singing acoustic tracks? Maybe you're a down on your luck rock’n’roller looking to sing soprano, perhaps you're an elder statesmen looking for somewhere quiet to lay down your last ever album or maybe you’re just a humble fan looking to find their way into the music business. Any which way you are, there’s a place for everyone at Endeavour Records.
║ Name ║
║ Birthday & Age ║
║ Gender & Sexual Orientation ║
║ Occupation ║
║ Appearance ║
"Description of overall apparence, marks, tattoos and general style"
║ Personality ║
"Solid paragraph or two about their personality"
║ My Dreams ║
"What is your goal in life”
║ Autobiography ║
Should be broken up into sections for clarity - Early Life - Formative Years - Why They Decided to move to the Endeavour label
║ Reputation ║
What is their reputation in the industry at the moment?
║ Extra information ║
The Boneyard aka The Studio & Apartments The Boneyard is South Philly's best kept secret. An old style bar and club that is only attended by those who know where it is; it is the perfect location for the Endeavour Records venture. A classic venue with live music and an intimate atmosphere, it is predominately where most of the story will take place to start with. Situated next to the bar is a block of loft-style apartments also purchased by Mitch for his artists to stay in whilst they are recording with him. That said, those who choose to stay in the apartments better watch out; you may need to share! The Studio The Bar The Apartments
║ Birthday & Age ║ 26 years old, born on November 6th 1991
║ Gender & Sexual Orientation ║ Male, bisexual
║ Occupation ║ Singer-songwriter
║ Appearance ║ Andrew stands at 6'1", with an unusually broad chest and unusually slight shoulders. His skin is pale from one too many hours spent indoors. His hair used to be entirely dark blonde, but during his youth, his search for self-expression led him to dying the top of his hair black. He originally did not like this, but as time went on he got rather attached to his blonde roots. He keeps his curly hair in a side parting, preferring to have his hair out of his face. His eyes are grey, and quite hostile, usually involuntarily. On his upper back, Drew has a large tattoo of a pair of black wings, and two piercings in his upper left ear, more bad decisions from his teenage years.
His style mainly consists of many plain shirts, scarves, cords and leather jackets. People say that's an odd mix, but he believes it works quite well. He can be formal and casual at the same time. He calls this a multi-tasking wardrobe, and it has been catching the public eyes since he was 21. His on-stage store consists of his almost iconic white trench coat.
║ Personality ║ Drew's mind is not always said to be on planet Earth. He is known as a dreamer, a man with a great mind that spends its time in fantastical worlds. Drew loves ambiguity, mystery and the macabre. He is a very strange man, withdrawn and eccentric, obsessed with the darker side of humanity. This led to what his fans call genius, but he calls luck. People have said that he is hard to get along with because of his peculiarities and unpredictability, however those who know him well know that he can be a very exciting person to know, always coming up with new ideas. A loyal man who would die for those he cares about, with a romantic streak reflected in his more famous songs. He can be intense when taken with one of his ideas, and has given up many hours of sleep trying to perfect one song. Eventually, everyone who cares to get to know him find this: he's just a man trying to prove that life is exciting once you let go of fact and concentrate on possibility.
║ My Dreams ║ To show the world that idiosyncracy and oddity are better than the norm
║ Autobiography ║ Born to a dull, middle class family in Fort Collins, Colorado, Drew has a disturbingly conventional upbringing. His parents were very odd people, he could remember that from a young age that they never supported his peculiarities. Whilst his parents would have had him outside playing football with the other boys, he would rather stay indoors with an Alice Cooper album, sitting in front of his record player and losing himself in the blaring guitars.
As a little boy, he had a strange love of hard rock bands that only grew as he got older, accumulating with him standing outside his girlfriend's window at age 16, singing "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith. His odd tastes for a boy of that age made him an outcast, but he never minded. He had a couple of friends, and the most wonderful girlfriend in the world. Eventually, his academics overtook his life, and he had no time for the music he once cherished.
Until he reached age 21. After foolishly proposing, his girlfriend of five years left him. He was distraught, and found himself letting out his anger the only way he knew how. Music. The song he wrote that evening inspired him. Make an album. After getting his parents to help him, he got a deal with his uncle's record label. His album 'Darling, I'm Nothing' named after the song that started his career was a smash hit among the emo community, making him an overnight sensation. He finally saw a way to inspire people into following his life philosophy and letting go of the norm.
But his uncle only saw money. After his next two albums 'The Smell of Gasoline' and 'Don't Feed The Lions', his uncle started to try and sort out his music, telling Drew that he'll never get anywhere if he doesn't abandon his mysterious loner image and become mainstream, threatening to pull his contract. After a years worth of negotiations, Drew spotted Endeavor Records. The perfect place to persue his passion.
║ Reputation ║ People associate Drew with his insane concerts, full of explosions, fireworks, fire and occasionally motorcycle stunts. He is known as an unpredictable showman. One critic said "If Ed Sheeran became an emo, and got the showmanship of Alice Cooper and the explosions of a Micheal Bay film, he would be Andrew Jungerwood." Many know that in person he is as out there and intense as his concerts. Some people thinks he's a pretentious oddball, some think he's a creative genius, but they all know he has talent.
║ Appearance ║ Charlotte stands at 5'11 1/2" and is a relatively thin person for someone of her stature. Her hair color frequently changes colors, currently being blonde after a seven month stint with gray hair. It is naturally light brown. Charlotte is quite the tattoo aficionado, but has them in places that are hard to see at first glance. Her most notable tattoo is on her left shoulder, which is a tattoo of some Roman numerals that she has yet to reveal the true meaning of.
Her style consists of most modern fashion trends. Whether it be cardigans, jackets, scarves, and whatnot. She dresses for the cold, because she gets cold very easily.
║ Personality ║ Charlotte is a very ambitious individual. She's very focused on her work as a musician and ways to get herself more exposure. She is often up late in her little apartment dicking around on her laptop just to see if she can get something good going. She's very committed and usually doesn't stop until she achieves perfection (which basically means that she will never stop). However, Charlotte is incredibly easy to get along with and is typically a very easy-going person. She loves to talk about music, and will happily accept any criticism so long as it actually makes some sort of sense and it isn't just gibberish.
║ My Dreams ║ Charlotte eventually wants to become a very famous musician, and join the ranks of stars like Bruno Mars.
║ Autobiography ║ Charlotte was born in Vancouver, British Columbia to a very large family. Her father was once a very prominent US Army Commander before leaving to take part in the founding of his own private military company. Because of this, her father kept bouncing between Washington DC and Vancouver, doing his absolute best to keep his family as far away from the drama as possible. As a result, Charlotte was often left to fend for herself in terms of company, which was where she found the gift of music. She received a little guitar as a Christmas gift one year and that was the start of her story.
Sometime in high school she discovered this neat little thing called YouTube. Charlotte wanted to see if the music scene was feasible, as she had a good feeling about this, unlike the MySpace scene a while back. Fortunately, she was right, and soon enough she posted her very first cover - a rendition of Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" using a ukulele on her channel "charlotterossi90". The video was not a big hit at first, only amassing about 5,000 views in the first few months or so. Charlotte was discouraged about the YouTube at first, but then she decided to take another shot at it, employing a very unorthodox method in doing so. Instead of doing those stereotypical songs like "Just The Way You Are" by Bruno Mars or "Firework" by Katy Perry, she decided to create a rendition of a more unusual song. Out came her third most popular video to date, an acoustic cover of Eminem's "Not Afraid". As of today, it has over 5.6 million views on YouTube.
Things started to snowball, and soon Charlotte was an established musical YouTuber. She graduated from the University of British Columbia in 2011 with a Bachelor's in Music Composition. She was on that YouTube grind for a while, sticking to the reliable formula of covers and the occasional vlog. It was something she could keep up with while working in her local music shop. She was making money from her YouTube channel as well, but not enough to go full time with it. Not yet, at least.
Then the year 2015 rolled around and things started to take a turn for the better. The steady growth of her YouTube channel meant that her covers were getting more views. She realized that she could've totally made more videos and gain a lot more money from it. Which is what she did, by the way. The frequency of covers were increasing. From two a month to two a week, and Charlotte started to see not only the money roll in, but also the subscriptions. She became so successful that it was now economically feasible to leave her job and become a YouTuber full time. Which she also did, by the way.
Two years later. It is the year 2017, and Charlotte is rolling in the YouTube dollars. She has been featured on many channels, doing collabs and showing up at a lot of conventions. Her very first original song was posted in the middle of 2016, and it did amazingly. Her very first song, titled "Slow Motion". It was then where she also started to develop her very own style. Slowly drifting away from the acoustic guitars and ukuleles and gravitating towards synthesizers and 808s. Charlotte's hauntingly beautiful combination of synth, 808s, and her angelic voice created a combo which many quickly attached to.
Then, a few months ago, Charlotte received a very interesting offer from Endeavour Records. She had been targeted by other small scale records like Ultra Music or Rhymesayers. But Endeavour, Endeavour offered her the most freedom. They wanted her to do what she did, and not transform her signature sound into a generic poppy song. And so, the decision was made. She posted a video titled "Signing Day", announcing that she was going to be signing with Endeavour Records. She made the point that she would not be abandoning her YouTube channel, but activity would lessen as she focused on getting her very first album out. And here she is today.
║ Reputation ║ A lot of people see her with the potential of blowing up and rising to the ranks of higher level EDM artists like Calvin Harris and David Guetta. But, Charlotte wants to ascend that and break into the Billboard Top 100s even.
Independent artist. Performs at underground gigs. Has no permanent day job. Right now part times in Chick-fil-A as a mascot, like the ones who hold out free coupons on the streets. Gotta earn some extra somehow.
║ Appearance ║
Karen, in all aspects of life, is her own woman. That certainly includes her sense of style, which mostly defines her old school riott grrrl persona, clothes ranging from loose graphic shirts, leather cuffs/bead bracelets, flannels and old faded skinny jeans. She is taller than average, about 5'10 and rather athletic, highschool and college softball could have a contribution to that otherwise she claims it's all purely genetic. On her left forearm she has a tattoo of a crow, and a clunky text just below it reading "Nevermore!"
║ Personality ║
One could describe Karen as dynamic, spontaneous and adventurous, which is defined much from her life decisions. Although she was living life as she pleases, Karen didnt finish college nor has a stable job because she's just all over the place. The allure of money, industry politics and tranquil white picket fence living never appealed to her anyway. She's the type who would find her own style out in the muddley open rather than be given a template to start with. Personally, she likes the challenge no matter how most of it eventually turns to shit at a certain point, it's something that makes life a little more worthwhile than normal. Like adding the flavor to boring old water, if you will.
Karen is at her element the most when on stage. It's one of the major things she misses about an open performance. And she simply does so just for the fun of it. Rules and ethics matter little to her when creativity is being judged. Although on some level Karen is rather reserved, often masking answers to otherwise personal questions with deceptive sarcasm, but when on stage and through her songs, where she is most vulnerable, she expresses herself. More often slipping a bit of herself every now and again in her poetry and body language.
║ My Dreams ║
Nothing too big other than to simply write songs, perform, and stir up the world with real quality music.
║ Autobiography ║
Katherine Maloney grew up in Boston, the daughter of a middle school teacher and a retired security guard. Growing up, Karen knew her family was having trouble with money as most of the time she would witness her parents fight over it. They rely mostly on her mother's okay-payroll, and her father's pension which was still challenging enough to provide for her and her other three siblings. She went to St Mary's for highschool and there she met the future members of The Honeybeavs, Lolly Grier and Rachel Walsh.
At first the idea of putting up a band together wasnt seriously intended. By that time during middleschool, Karen played the guitar for the school choir. The same time Lolly introduced her to bands such as Delta 5, Bikini Kill and The Kinks. One day while they were waiting for the bus home together, sharing an earphone while indulged in their favorite songs, Karen thought it would be cool to start a band together. Lolly thougt it wasnt a bad idea so they started to discreetly call out auditions within the school, and sooner they met their drummer Rachel, Lolly being the band's bass. After schools they would hang out at Lolly's place to practice, her dad having been in a band as well provided them with equipments. It was all fun and games at first, nothing so serious other than writing random and silly songs. One Christmas they performed the Nativity story through a song for a school program, complete with costumes and a baby Jesus in the style of the sex pistols. The teachers were not impressed and the three of theme were suspended for the next school day.
The casual meetings became a regular thing, this time they were writing more serious songs, one with substance but just as charming as their original style. By junior high they were booking in gigs from a friend of a friend, the lowkey ones at the bars. The first time, they had to be discreet about their age since they were under 18. Not long they became quite popular in the underground scene, they've been invited to several gigs all over the country. And since they were traveling a lot Karen had to drop out of college. They've been on the road, going from one city to another for almost six years or so.
And like with great groups, they come to a downfall at some point. It was a disagreement between the three of them, Lolly wanted to venture beyond the underground scene. Rachel did not. Karen didn't care as long as she still gets to play and write. Even with the tensions they still tried to work it out, but sadly, the band was bound to hit it's downfall. Lolly eventually left the band and pursued a solo career. Rachel got married, and now has a family of her own. Everyone left for a new start except for Karen although the group still contact each other, more or less for catching up. Karen was still performing in small gigs here and there for the last two years. Though it didn't pay as much , at least she was creating her passion and art. Probably to Karen that was enough.
But she missed being a part in a band, but just the band mostly. There was a sisterhood that they shared in her time with The Honeybeavs, it felt great. They wrote songs together, shared thoughts and experiences, and most of all they made music together. During one of her solo gigs, she was offered to get herself labeled, Karen never thought much about it but to her it seems like an intriguing idea. She never left the underground scene due to sentimental reasons, but if it's opening up a new and exciting chapter of her life, then she's up for the adventure. Next thing she knew, she's sitting in some fancy studio somewhere in Philly.
║ Reputation ║
Even before Endeavor, Karen rarely went mainstream except in some requested performances. The Honeybeavs were quite well known, albeit in the alternative music scene. In the writing facet her songs are known to be "bluntly sarcastic, absurd even and uncensored but spiritually satisfying and painfully honest." And as a performer, her image is generally bare and simple. She's not one to put on a ridiculous costume or set up a sparkly stage. Not that she's against it only that it's always been her thing to go natural, in all sense of the word. A guitar in hand, the sweats soaking her hair and her clothes as her harsh singing compliments her epileptic dancing to the brassy rhythm of post punk goodness. That's Karen Maloney.
║ Appearance ║ He’s middle aged and doesn’t stand out particularly. He keeps off the pounds that come with age thanks to his routine of working with the rowing machine he keeps in the basement. His hair is a little messy, but not enough to be inappropriate in a corporate work environment. Business casual describes his style on and off the job, and for show he dresses up in a nice suit, as he believes that’s how a real musician should dress when performing for a crowd. He often wears a visor or sunglasses on stage, as it helps both him and the audience focus on the music.
║ Personality ║ James is a withdrawn man, and doesn't speak when he doesn't need to. He is stubborn, and doesn't like to compromise. He seems calm but serious, though he is more jovial when he is around people he knows well. He really enjoys learning and teaching, and likes to help those in need, even though he rarely shows it externally. Even though it is hard for him to make friends, he has a positive outlook and doesn’t hold many grudges. When he does have a good friend around he can talk for hours, rambling around, but strangers make him more reclusive. James is also blunt, not often mincing words or hiding his real feelings, which is off-putting at first, when people don’t realize that it’s more out of social awkwardness than contempt.
║ My Dreams ║ "To find my own place to be. It doesn’t matter if anyone else is there, it’s all about being in a space and state of mind where everything comes together.”
║ Autobiography ║ James was technically born in Detroit proper, but his parents moved out to one of suburbs when he was young, everyone could see the decline happening around them. His dad was a jazz drummer that played in local bands, but gave up the hobby as he got older, being an assistant manager took up too much time, but he kept his record collection around. James listened the old greats, and his dad didn’t shy away from the more experimental stuff, Sun Ra, Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis’ electric period were some of his favorites. When he grew up he started listening to radio, paying special attention the few DJs that played Detroit Techno. His family was present, if hectic by the constantly changing jobs and shift-work as both parents had to work just to make ends meet.
He joined his school’s jazz band, but found himself dropping out as all of the extracurricular activities strained the family’s budget. James now turned to making music alone, using a cheap Casio sampling keyboard and tape recorders. In his free time he picked up a hobby of working with electronics, first learning to modify cheap tape players and fix his keyboard, then gradually learning the deeper theories behind it all. In high school he was known as a weird kid, always tinkering but he didn’t bother anyone so he made few foes. He took extra math classes to spend more time in the computer lab, and found that working with numbers or computer code stimulated the same instincts as working with wires; it was all about experimenting within certain boundaries, and finding new ways to solve problems.
Later in high school he did manage to find a place with some of the other musicians. He earned money on the side fixing people’s gear when it broke, eventually scrounging up enough to buy a computer. James’ offers to collaborate didn’t find many takers, so he practiced alone, although there was one group that stayed together. He made beats for a couple of his friend’s attempts at a rap group called “The Overlord Crew”, an era that he is not fond of looking back on. His studies paid off with good grades, and he went on to attend University of Michigan after graduation, becoming the first member of his family to go to college.
It took James some time to decide on a major. Initially he wanted to go into music, but his parent’s advice and his own uncertainty led him to a path with a better guarantee of success, electrical engineering. He worked hard and made a small group of friends across a few different departments, the circle was united by their eccentricity, and some like Noor Al-Medina went on to great success afterwards. Musically, he got involved in the tracker music scene, contributing to a few compilations under myriad aliases, and swapping files over floppies and the early web. This was the first time he released music to the public, the tracks were quirky but well received, however the amount of time he spent on schoolwork meant he couldn’t find the dedication to become a member of any particular demo group.
After graduation he found a niche as a programmer. Having worked extensively with analog circuitry, he became a specialist in writing software to model the behavior of physical circuits. This line of work brought him to Philadelphia and provided him a good income, while still leaving some time for his hobbies. James has kept involved in the music scene, but some of his greatest contributions have come in the form of homebrew plugins and patches, trying to go experiment and go beyond the saturated markets for music software.
In Philadelphia James has kept his day job, making music without much recognition as a hobby. Some people in the small local scene appreciate him, and small as it is, his internet following is growing. One of his buddies told him about Endeavor and put in a good word with him, so James checked it out on a whim. He was impressed with their approach and felt like they could really be on to something new in the music industry, so he gladly signed on when they showed interest.
║ Reputation ║ James has a few fans among the tracker scene, but that era has since faded away. After that, he traded tapes by mail and made a single or two for minor labels, hitting one of his most successful periods in the late 90s when he was asked to do official remixes for some of the bigger names and signed with an indie label. There he released his first official album, Arkestral, which was met with underwhelming sales. After that, he turned to self-publishing his albums online, barely making any money but enjoying the freedom. He’s played at some small clubs but never toured, but also does some work on the side as a sound designer. His latest album was called ZERO//KNOWLEDGE//PROOF and has been his most successful to date, but has garnered little attention outside of a couple blogs and niche publications that cover the experimental electronic scene.
║ Extra information ║
Face claim: Derrick May Partially joined the label because he’s hoping he can convince to them fund a fancy modular synth. Typical live rig: Arturia Matrixbrute, Modal 008R, and his laptop
Placing my interest here. @Erklings25 I have inspiration to write a lead guitarist to go along with Andrew, we could PM if you'd like me to tell you about him first? Hash out ideas and that. C:
sorry my cs is taking so long!! i ended up totally reworking my idea whoops
also just to be sure is it okay to have multiple characters? @BrutalBx
While I am neither Brutal, nor a GM, I asked him about this very thing and he said that there isn't a character limit -- so yes, it's okay to have multiple characters.
By the way, ladies and gents, @Silent Observer and I are having our character start a band, and we're recruiting more members. So, we'd need a drummer and a bassist. If anyone is curious, PM either of us!
║ Gender & Sexual Orientation ║ Female and she's not picky
║ Occupation ║ Bartender/Whatever you need at the studio
║ Appearance ║
Adalaide stands at 5'8, weighing in at about 135 pounds. Her natural hair color is brown although she does have some dark red highlights in at the moment. She usually keeps her hair brown, since she refuses to bleach it and that's the only way you'd see any real color in it. Her ears are pierced and so is her belly button but those are the only things that are pierced.
Adalaide has many tattoos, she has a half sleeve on her right arm with random aspects of her favorite paintings, and flowers lower on the same arm, on her right arm she has a humming bird in the shape of a semi-colon with the quote "She is a soldier in the war against herself" on her right leg she has an anchor and a sun, on her left leg she has a mermaid. On her collar she has the heart with the twin guns and more flowers. On her left shoulder she has the scene on the Moon of Endor from Star Wars in the shape of R2-D2, and on her right shoulder she has a butterfly with the symbol of life in the center. On her left side she has more roses and on her right she has another bird this time carrying some keys on a chain. Her final tattoo is a turtle right at the small of her back.
Her general style would best be described as casual, usually consisting of t-shirts and shorts in the summer and hoodies and jeans in the fall. Even when she's bartending, she will wear a nice top with some jeans or if it's a popular artist playing on the stage that night she'll wear merch if she has it. Converse are her favorites but she also has a deep appreciation for knee high boots. She's not afraid of her makeup but she doesn't look like a paint pallet when she's done.
║ Personality ║ She's sweet, it's the first thing anyone who meets her thinks. She's a sweet girl who always goes out of her way to help those in need. Which is true, to an extent. She's definitely sweet to anyone who she barely knows or is her friend, but to her best friends she's kind of a bitch in a way that only best friends can be and to anyone who tries to mess with her friends, she's their worst enemy.
She's definitely a nerd, and somewhat of an introvert but you'd never guess it with how she interacts with people. She will sometimes spend days locked up in her apartment, letting no one in and then she'll come out and act like nothing happened. She's got some anxiety, and if she's not wearing fake nails her nails are always bitten down to the finger.
║ My Dreams ║ Mostly she just wants to keep herself together, but secretly she does want to get back to music making.
║ Autobiography ║
Adalaide was born a twin to a single mother living in the streets of Los Angeles. She and her brother grew up in and out of foster care until their mother got signed at a label in Nashville as a songwriter. Adalaide spent most of her teen years in the studio with her mother, learning from her and some of the artists her mother worked with. Throughout that she was an extremely dedicated student, graduating high school with a 4.0, however she turned down a full ride scholarship to Duke in favor of signing with the same studio her mother worked at. She quickly rose up as Nashville's wild child, but she made millions for that label. Her mother passed away when she was 21 and her brother had gone to serve in Iraq and was declared missing, presumed dead, two years later. Adalaide broke from the label in Nashville and moved to California, and that's where everything went wrong.
In California, she was even more out of check than before. Without her mother or her brother, Adalaide quickly spiraled out of control. She thought she was on top of the world, she was the life of every party. In reality Adalaide would black out for days at a time, whatever time she spent in the studio was almost worthless, and anything that was usable had to be heavily edited to get albums out. Adalaide couldn't tour, couldn't do anything in the public without making an absolute mess of herself. None of this was helped by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her producer in all aspects. He stole billions from her, got her hooked on hard drugs, and basically ruined her. Eventually she got arrested, and forced to go to rehab. Once she was sober she realized exactly how far she had fallen, and the hole she was in.
Once she was out of jail and rehab, Adalaide tried to break from her record label but she was still contracted for two more albums. So she tried to sue, she brought everything to light but they only turned the media attention back on her. She did get some of her money back, but they refused to release her from the label. She was a nervous wreck, before she got an offer from an old friend. Mitchell Morgan was someone who she knew before she completely spiraled out of control and she had been good friends with all the members of the band before she went psycho. He offered to help her buy out her contract, if she signed with his new label. He assured her she didn't have to make any music if she didn't want to. He just wanted her help around the studio, and so she agreed, and also started as a bartender at the bar.
║ Reputation ║ She's basically blacklisted from the industry at the moment. She still has her fair share of a fan base though, and royalties are still coming in, so if she wanted to return to music it's feasible that she could.
Lifestyle: Starving artist Means to make money: Barista → Dog walker → Babysitter
║ Appearance ║
Naturally, she's a brunette, but ever since she could (age 12, to be exact), Blake has dyed her hair a variety of shades and colors. Now she is sporting bleach blonde hair with blue streaks. Her skin is exceptionally pale in comparison to most people, as she stands at 5'5". Her weight fluctuates due to her inconsistent eating habits. Her warm, hazel eyes and the way she holds herself conveys the amount of 'life' she has experienced and for such a young age too.
Tired. Always tired. With an underlining sadness.
Cigarettes and a lighter aren't too far from her person and her main attire usually is accompanied with a top (shirt/jacket/sweater) far bigger than her self - usually hiding her relatively thin shape. Her stockings and jeans are more often than not worn and torn and she has a couple of hand me down dresses from her late mother. One clothing of item you might notice on her more frequently than your average gal is her black beret, or one of three beanie hats (black, white, blue). Boots and converses are her shoes of choice and it doesn't take much to realize that she does not come from money - since her street style is without a doubt low budget. The most expensive things she carries around with her are her aquamarine headphones and her Ipod, which she protects with her life (possessive over it because they have songs made by her mother on it).
║ Personality ║
Growing up, Blake was socially awkward and clung to the close people in her life - especially her mother, since her father was never in the picture. There was a time when she was easily embarrassed and internally scared of more things than she would have liked to admit, but as time goes on, you choose to either live a life by fear or by love. Blake chose love. Love for her mother, mostly.
Little Blake led a quiet childhood. A true introvert that needed other people to get her out of her comfort zone (which was in the safety of her mother's home). The only time she did anything 'wild' was when she was with her childhood friends...climbing trees, swimming in the lake, scary ghost stories around a bonfire, etc. She was the girl that carried a notepad where ever she went just so she could jot her thoughts down and build a world that her songs would explore.
If she had the patience and discipline to write a novel series, she would, but she finds the art of music to be a mesmerizing, creative outlet and can reach a wider audience. The moment she could truly make her own decisions was when she taught herself how to play a variety of instruments (going to her mother's school to play with instruments for free), but nowadays she uses her acoustic guitar and her keyboard to formulate the notes of her songs. So far, all her songs follows the tale of a fictional family, through its generations. Dysfunctional and full of lessons.
She is fully capable of using whatever instrument she sees fit like the cello or the electric guitar, so long as it adds to the ambiance of her songs. She can also manipulate sound with her laptop using software like Fruity Loops, since her mother never failed to guide her daughter in the expansion of her prodigal skills.
Her mother always told her that she was gifted.
One day, baby, your story will reach everyone.
In time, Blake did build confidence in herself to become more vocal and those around her came to realize how wise she was for her age, but also how empathy came natural to her. She understood feelings she hadn't even experienced yet and she gave those around her a listening ear. Blake is on a constant journey to seek inner peace, since her thoughts do keep her up at night. She'll speak when necessary, but her eyes express all the feeling needed at the time. Like she carries the world on her shoulders.
As much as she wants to have an apathetic front, and at first glance, people naturally assume she's indifferent and doesn't care, she can't pretend and act like she's happy. Those that get to know her come to realize she's full of vibrant colors and extremely child-like with her passion for music. All her ideas coursing through her mind reflects the happiness she strives for. A guilty conscious has taken over her within the last year because she blames herself for her mother's death and so with her addictive personality, she takes meds to help her deal with her crippling depression and tries to remind herself that she can become something for her and her mother. Her preferred music is variants of folk music, indie pop, and alternative rock.
║ My Dreams ║
Become 'somebody' for her mother's sake.
║ Autobiography ║
Welcome to Fairhill, Philly, also known as the Badlands, one of the biggest drug zones in North Philadelphia, where the population consists of primarily Latinos and African Americans (pie chart of races). There once was a fair, African American teacher who went by the name of Tracee Lloyd. She did not belong in this neighborhood, at least not her adult self. A sweet woman and an inspirational music teacher at Central High, just a 16 minute drive from where she resided. Fairhill was her home, where she was born and raised, and she wanted to help teach the younger generation that there was life outside of their neighborhood. Kids should learn tolerance, apply themselves, and pursue education beyond high school. To dream. To live. To fight for a better life. One thing that she was known for was usually always having a little, white baby girl by her side. A baby girl she named Blake.
Tracee taught her daughter everything she knew, especially being aware of her surroundings and being street smart, but her job of teaching wasn't limited to just her daughter. It expanded to kids that came from different backgrounds, were from a different race, and who continued to believe in the labels that were built in their culture. The safest place on Earth for that baby was with her mother, who protected her from the monsters under their bed.
Life was hard for Tracee, who had to support her daughter with a teacher's wage, having no other family but her child. Starting from the bottom and struggling to get to the top. The rest of her family had past on, to a better place, and Blake's father had deserted them awhile ago when he couldn't commit to the responsibility, but also suffered from a heroin addiction.
Under the government, Blake was the only child to Ms. Lloyd, but it felt like she had siblings from all over, since kids considered Tracee the local mother of Fairhill. The light in everyone's darkness. A super mom. Unfortunately since Tracee had a heavy workload, she could not give Blake the childhood she deserved. When Blake did make friends that the teacher could trust, Tracee allowed her daughter to venture outside the gate and build on her life long skills, necessary to survive. Of course, Blake would always return home so that she could write and make music.
There was a prodigy in her, but all Tracee could do was try to give Blake a little shove to participate in talent shows or to submit her impressive work in contests. Sadly, there was too much anxiety and fear in her baby. To the point that Blake kept all her work to herself and her mother. And to add to that, Tracee could only do so much for her child's future, when everyday she worried about their well beings and their safety.
High school came for Blake and that's when she started doing odd jobs to help her mother. Her mother deserved to retire and rest. All she did was work and help everyone but herself. Blake wanted to help her. Who cares about her own future! She would have no future without her mother.
After high school, her mother convinced her to go to community college, but unfortunately managing the amount of jobs she had, doing school work, and making time for her passion did not end well. So, Blake stopped going to school and expressed to her mother that she was ready to become someone, like Tracee always saw her becoming...
And then her mother, the mother everyone came to love, her world... had a brain aneurysm and Blake lost her everything in an instant. She didn't even die by gun shot or drugs. It was random, out of the blue, and- and - and -
Real.
Far real than anything Blake has ever experienced. But, she would keep to her plan and the easiest way to do so was through the last thing her mother left her...
A business card with an address that led to this place called Endeavour Records. Looks like it was time to move to South Philly and become someone... for her mother.
║ Reputation ║
The only reputation she has is local (at underground venues) and even then she's just another 'penniless artist', when really she's extremely underrated. She spent most of her years building herself and helping her mother out in surviving that she hasn't really gotten a name out for herself.
She's truly a nobody. A diamond in the rough that no one but her mother saw true potential in. A prodigy that didn't have the opportunities when she was young, but now? She has nothing to lose... so might as well try to get somewhere.
║ Appearance ║ Standing at the very unfortunate height of five and a half feet, Lucas is no stranger to the plethora of insults that come along with being a short dude. He’s been at the lower end of the height scale all his life, so he’s relatively used to it by now. Unlike many of the other members of the emo scene, Lucas isn’t skeletal levels of skinny, he’s got just enough meat to him that a stranger might mistake his build for a muscular one (while it most certainly is not). Not too chubby, not too thin... ‘overwhelmingly average’ seems just about right.
Rocking a solid punk aesthetic, Lucas frequently indulges in decoration of his temple in the form of tattoos, piercings, and questionable hair choices. Currently his hair is a shaggy length of black tresses, but he has dabbled with mohawks, side swept bangs, and shaved sides that were either bleached to white or dyed vibrant red. Luke’s visible piercings are size 0 black plugs in both ears, a hoop set to the left side of his bottom lip, and a hoop through his right nostril. The list of his tattoos is far longer, but notable pieces include:
• Scorpion on the right side of his neck. • Scissors on the left side of his neck. • “NJ” on the inside of his bottom lip (stands for New Jersey).
• Our Lady of Sorrows-style Virgin Mary holding a heart with five swords on his left forearm. • A stabbed human heart, a wolf, a chainsaw, “Black Flag” logo, black rose with guns, a Japanese sun, many tiny stars, and bats all encompass a sleeve on his left arm. • A cobra on his right arm with “FTW” (Fuck the World) above it. • An anchor on on his right bicep with an “N” and “J” on either side (you guessed it, stands for New Jersey again). • “Forget Me Not” with a blue hand, a bloody tooth, Frankenstein, and a broken heart all in a sleeve on his right arm.
• “Hopeless” and a spiderweb on his right hand that pairs with “Romantic” and a half of a broken heart on his left hand. • “I wish I were a ghost” around his right wrist. • “Revenge” on his left wrist. • “BOOKWØRM” across his lower knuckles. • “HALLOWEEN” across his upper knuckles. • A hidden index finger moustache.
• “I Am A Graveyard” on his collarbone. • “Search And Destroy” around his hips with a swallow on either side of the ‘And’, one angelic and the other devilish.
• Two crossed pistols on his lower back. • “Keep The Faith” above a jack-o-lantern on his upper back.
• “Live each day as if it were your last.” on his thigh. • The Misfits logo on his left shin.
As for a style, well Lucas tends to just wear whatever is lying around from his laundry heap. Wrinkled, holey, studded, dark, ill-fitting, grungy - most of these terms could be applied to Lucas’ everyday wardrobe. He likes to dress in layers, even when it is hot outside, he can be found with long sleeves under a t-shirt, and when it’s cold he’ll toss a leather jacket in there too. Being among the emo crowd, he will occasionally wear fingerless gloves, eyeliner, studded belts, and skinny jeans - but he much prefers distressed (see also: ripped-to-shit) bootcut jeans. His shoe choice is either Chuck Taylor or Dr. Martens, no exceptions.
║ Personality ║ Pissed off.
About what, exactly? Anything and everything, as it takes very little to get Lucas upset. If he finds a situation unpleasant enough, he isn’t afraid to make it known by protesting. Loudly. A working theory is that, much like a chihuahua, Lucas’ small stature has lead to rather Napoleonic personality traits. Luke isn’t about to start any wars, but he will be openly and unabashedly aggressive in his attempts to get his point across, even when such behavior is socially inappropriate. Luke has little respect for rules, authority, limits, and boundaries, and he proudly sticks his middle finger up in the face of such constraints.
Lucas looks perpetually angry and nobody is quite sure why. Perhaps it is a case of that affliction that mothers often warn their children of - Lucas made a face for so long that it simply got stuck that way. Behind the fountains of aggression bottled up in a tiny punk body are the true colors of a boy that was bullied growing up. While young Luke might have been small, he was far from defenseless. Larger size is no match for unfettered crazy, and Lucas has the latter in abundance, even to this day. When shit gets real, Lucas doesn’t crack under pressure or run away, he faces the challenge with a fist held high. He isn’t afraid to stand up for himself, or for others, and he’ll go for blood if he has to. These traits makes him a valuable friend, and a fearsome enemy.
Both a prankster and a risk-taker, Lucas is prone to putting himself in harm's way in search of a few laughs, or the next high. On the topic of ‘highs’, drug use is one of the rock-and-roll clichés that Luke steers clear of. That being said, he chain smokes cigarettes like it’s his job, and has done so behind his parents’ backs since he was a young teen. Drugs may not be his scene, but that’s not to say that you wouldn’t find Lucas at a party. Hell, he’ll be the life of the damned party if the music and the booze is good enough.
All this may be true, but a human being cannot exist on past-teenage angst and rage alone, and Lucas is no exception. Luke is sensitive - a fragile heart protected by an abundance of studded-leather barriers. The people that he deems as his are the ones that he would both kill for, and die for, without question. When Luke isn’t amped up with anger or passion, he is often very quiet and contemplative. He likes to observe his surroundings, to listen to people during both the good times and the bad - the best creative inspiration is often pulled from these moments.
Lucas may not be the best at vocalizing his thoughts and emotions, but that is not to say he is expressionless. Luke has nothing to hide from the world, he puts pieces of himself into his art for those who care enough to look. Ambition in guitar riffs, heartbreak in stereo. In Lucas’ eyes, these hints of himself are plainly obvious in the music that he plays and the lyrics that he writes. He wears his heart on his sleeve, try not to break it.
║ My Dreams ║ Lucas wants to be the lead guitar in a band that makes it big… to be able to thrash around on stage, kick mic stands, aggressively destroy stuff and spit on the crowd, all while shredding riffs that he himself wrote, without having to worry about singing (aside from occasional screamed word or two, you know, for flavor). He also hopes to find real, meaningful, lasting friendships in his bandmates - some ride-or-die brothers and sisters.
║ Autobiography ║
They say you can take the kid out of the city, but you can’t take the city out of the kid. Truer words could not be spoken for New Jersey native Lucas Piccoli. Born and raised to an Italian American family in Trenton, New Jersey, Luke is oozing with pride for his roots - just in case the two NJ-themed tattoos don’t make that obvious, he’ll probably tell you about it as well. He loves his home state, and he only moved away from it recently.
Lucas grew up on the upper side of the middle class. His parents made just enough money to send their only child to a private catholic school, to keep him out of trouble and give him a good, proper parochial education. Yeah, that sucked. Uniforms, shiney shoes, nuns, religion class… it was hell. Knowing this fact about Lucas’ childhood lifts the veil of mystery on where his rebellious defiance of authority came from.
Bullying became a problem for little Luke in late elementary and early middle school. It all started because he was small and quiet (at the time), and such kids make easy targets. The middle school years were also when Luke realized that he was bisexual. He didn’t openly come out, but he did get caught staring a few times, and kids talk… so somehow the word got out. Unfortunately religion can lead to bigotry, and big ol’ bigots like to talk with their fists rather than their mouths. As it turns out, Lucas had a huge crush on the football player that most frequently liked to use him as a punching bag in the locker rooms after gym. His name was Tyler, and Tyler unknowingly changed the course of young Lucas’ life.
Luke went home from school after one particularly bad day and wrote out his feelings about not being able to help who he liked, Tyler, the boy with good looks and a solid right hook. These words were the beginnings of Lucas’ first song, which ended with the lyrics “God as my witness, I will never be a victim again.” And when Lucas went to school the next day, he wasn’t. He became a force to be reckoned with.
After saving up his allowance for months, Luke bought his very first guitar from a thrift shop. For years he had been sneaking CDs into his personal collection that his parents wouldn’t approve of… Black Flag, Misfits, Dead Kennedys, Nirvana, The Bouncing Souls, The Beastie Boys, Green Day. He fell in love with punk music, and he wanted to learn to play like his idols. So, once he had bought his own guitar, Luke began to relentlessly beg his parents to sign him up for guitar lessons. Eventually, they caved, and the foundation of Lucas’ path as a musician was laid.
In high school, Lucas honed his guitar skills and secretly auditioned for a local garage-style punk band called Detritus. His unrelenting passion and considerable talent landed him the position of lead guitarist without any deliberation, despite the fact that the majority of the band members were several years older than Lucas. Finally, Lucas had an outlet for all of his rage and pent-up aggression, and he was living for it. All was well for a while, but the inevitable drama of being in a rock-and-roll band caught up with them. The original frontman of Detritus flaked and left a vital position vacant.
Lucas never wanted to be a frontman, but it was better than losing the outlet that mattered most to him, so he stepped up to front Detritus when no one else would. Luke’s vocal range was limited, but his gravelly smoker's voice was well suited to the genre of music that they performed. He learned a lot in his years as a vocalist and, in time, he even came to enjoy it. The next member to flake on the band was the drummer - who had picked himself up a bad habit that got him shipped off to a rehab facility in the north.
The drummer’s sudden departure left Detritus with only two remaining members: lead guitarist and vocalist, Lucas, and bassist, Garrett. The two friends decided to call it quits, because you couldn’t really be a band without a drummer (or a real vocalist), and Garrett also had a baby on the way with his girl. Irritated (pissed off) at the unexpected dissolution of his band, Lucas made the rash decision to move to an entirely new city - and state - for a fresh start.
Living in Philadelphia proved to be neither cheap nor easy. Lucas worked multiple shit jobs in order to just barely make rent. He spent his nights skulking around venues, in the hopes of finding a semi-decent band to join up with. In this skulking, Lucas found himself in the basement of a bar called The Boneyard, speaking with a man named Mitchell. Luke told Mitchell what he wanted, Luke showed him what he had to offer, and the next thing Luke knew, he was being offered a new apartment and a deal. Lucas signed for the label because he wants to play lead guitar for a band that makes it big, really big, and he feels like he can find that kind of talent here.
║ Reputation ║ Short angry punk. Ex-lead guitarist and vocalist of small New Jersey punkrock band, Detritus.
║ Extra information ║ FC: Frank Iero Color: d8bb00 Equipment: Multiple Gibson SG’s & Epiphone Les Paul guitars, a Fender Stratocaster, a Gibson Les Paul, and Marshall amps.
